The students immediately launched into a bridging program by AIT’s
Language Center, aimed at strengthening their language, communication
and research skills. The one-month bridging program has been created by
AIT for these students. Two more students are scheduled to join the 40
who participated in the orientation program today.
Out of the total of 42 students, 19 are enrolled at the School of
Engineering and Technology (SET), 12 at School of Environment,
Resources and Development (SERD), and 11 at the School of Management
(SOM).
The NMFA scholarship at AIT is one of the largest scholarship programs
benefitting students from Myanmar at any institute in the world. Funded
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Royal Norwegian Government,
the program will run for three years. The Government of Norway will
provide 30 million NOK (around 160 million THB) for these
scholarships.
Dr. Nitin V Afzulpurkar, Dean, SET; Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean,
SERD; and Dr. Sununta Siengthai, who represented the Dean of SOM, were
among those who addressed the incoming students. The students were
welcomed by Mr. Kyaw Soe Hlaing, Coordinator, External Relations and
Communications Office (ERCO). Mr. Tylor Burrows, Language Specialist,
Language Center introduced the students to the bridging program. Mr.
Benjamin A. Gargabite, Coordinator, Admissions and Scholarships guided
the students through the enrolment process. Also attending the event
was Mr. Ahmed Amjad Ali, Head, External Relations and Communications
Office (ERCO), and Ms. Tiamkare Thitithamtada, Senior Program officer,
ERCO.
The scholarships were earlier unveiled by H.E. Ms. Katja Christina
Nordgaard, Ambassador of Norway to Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. At
the inaugural ceremony held earlier this year in Yangon, Myanmar, H.E.
Nordgaard had remarked: “I trust that AIT will be the best place to
offer the kind of knowledge and expertise that will be relevant to the
development needs of the country, and I expect the recipients of this
scholarship to take the opportunity to apply the education and research
at AIT to the needs of the country.”
The scholarship covers all tuition and registration fees, research
grant, bursary, and accommodation, a return air-ticket, besides costs
for a bridging and pre-bridging program. The students have already
completed a pre-bridging program in Myanmar, which was offered by AIT's
partner, Myanmar Egress.
Details of the scholarship program are available at the website of the
Embassy of Norway at this
link.
Students from Myanmar at the orientation
program at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).